Whip It Good
by Muffinsphinx
Summary: Franziska decides to kill two birds with one stone: apologize to Maya Fey, and work around her dislocated shoulder and subsequent inability to use her whip. Written for the Kink Meme. No pairings; warnings inside.


Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story, nor do I own the Ace Attorney series.

Warnings: Possibly OOC Franziska von Karma and Maya Fey (I tried to keep it IC, but I may have failed); mild spoilers for JFA case 2 and T&T case 5. A little bit of crack.

Notes: Takes place a short while after T&T ends. Written for the Phoenix Wright Kink Meme.

* * *

"Maya Fey." Maya turned toward the deadly-serious voice. Franziska von Karma, of all people, was standing behind her with a somber look on her face. She also, oddly, had her arm in a sling.

"Ms. von Karma…?" she started, confused and a little apprehensive. She and Franziska had never really gotten along well. Even though the prosecutor was the same age as Maya, she seemed so much older. Older than Nick, even; which was funny, considering Phoenix was six or seven years older than both of them.

"I need to speak with you, if you have time," Franziska said stiffly.

"Yeah, sure, I'm just waiting for Nick to get here." Her eyes dropped back to Franziska's injured arm. "What happened to you?" she inquired, nodding toward the sling.

"It's nothing important," Ms. von Karma replied quickly, unconsciously scratching at the sling. She must feel vulnerable, Maya thought, with her whipping arm incapacitated like that. But her interest in the woman's injuries was nothing compared to her curiosity at what they apparently needed to talk about very badly.

"I have slighted you, it seems," Franziska began, dropping her head in what looked like genuine shame. "I… behaved badly in the case of _State v. Fey,_ and I apologize for any disrespect I paid you."

An apology? From Franziska von Karma, the Prodigy? It didn't even matter that it was about three years late. Just the fact that Franziska got over her pride enough to admit she'd done something wrong… and from the looks of it, it was killing her. Her hands were clenched tightly around her whip, and her eye seemed to be twitching a little. Maya grinned to herself.

"What brought this on?" she asked dryly. Knowing Franziska, it couldn't have been her idea to own up. "Someone make you feel guilty or something?"

The woman glared as no one but a von Karma could glare. "I am perfectly capable of admitting my own mistakes!"

"Except that you don't make mistakes, right? Since you're perfect and all?"

"Precis-" Franziska paused, narrowing her eyes at Maya, who was laughing outright at her. "Ah. You were… teasing me." She took a deep breath. "And perhaps I deserve it. I suppose I tend to be a bit more prideful than I ought. And it was someone else who inspired me to bring up this subject."

"Who?" Maya was intensely curious. Could it have been Nick? Nah, no way. He was definitely the kind of person to tell Franziska off for abusing her, but the blue-haired woman would never listen to him- she'd just whip him again. If anyone could have any influence over what Franziska said or did, it would probably be Mr. Edgeworth; but he'd been out of the country during the trial, and probably hadn't heard about Franziska's behavior (although it wasn't like it was hard to guess how she'd acted). So who…?

"Well," Franziska drew out the word, glancing away for a moment, "it was a little girl, in fact, who told me in no uncertain terms that I'd mistreated you. As much as it pains me to feel threatened by a girl who comes up to my waist at most, she…" Was she _gulping?_ "She had a point."

A little girl… Pearly! It must've been Pearly. Maya giggled, picturing her tiny cousin facing down the whip-wielding prosecutor. She must've worn the same face she always used when guilt-tripping Nick for looking at other women. _No one_ could resist that face. "Well, whatever caused you to think of it, thanks. I forgive you."

Franziska blinked, apparently startled. "You… you do? That easily?"

"Yeah! You were just doing your job, after all." She raised her eyebrow. "You didn't have to do it that meanly, but yeah, it's all in the past."

"Well, I…" Ms. von Karma coughed awkwardly. "I'm glad you've… forgiven me. However, my conscience-" and the memory of Pearls' angry face, Maya guessed- "weighs heavily on my mind, and I'd like to offer you something as a consolation." She fingered her whip. "Obviously, I am currently incapacitated, and as I'm not using my whip right now, I thought perhaps…"

Maya grinned.

* * *

Kristoph sorted smugly through his notes. There was no chance that anything could go wrong with his trial today. His client was obviously innocent, and he'd done enough research that no prosecutor's trick could obscure that simple fact. He had complete confidence in his abilities and in the case he'd built.

"Ah," he said to himself with a wry smile, "here comes the competition." And indeed, the double doors of the courtroom had just swung open, and in walked the prosecution, who appeared to be… two teenage girls? Oh, yes: the one with the odd blue hair and clownish apparel was Franziska von Karma, daughter to an odious man, and about as odious herself. She shouldn't pose any threat. The other girl he didn't recognize; she too was dressed oddly, in some kind of mystical garb that he thought he'd seen in an occult magazine once. The two of them were about as threatening as a box full of puppies, he thought disdainfully. The most damage they'd do to his case would be to get sympathy votes for Franziska's apparent arm injury, and considering what little he'd heard about the girl, no one would be particularly saddened by her vulnerability.

"Court is now in session," the Judge called, quieting down the spectators. Kristoph smiled serenely across the courtroom at his "opposition." He didn't often like to use his brother's expressions, crude as they were, but the term "cakewalk" seemed appropriate for this trial. Having heard so little about Franziska most likely meant she wasn't memorable, wasn't a threat, wasn't an entity to be considered.

"Would the prosecution like to give their opening statement?"

Franziska smirked. Kristoph was mildly impressed by that one expression; if she knew how much trouble she was in by facing him, an truly experienced and talented attorney, she refused to show it. "Yes, Your Honor. But first-" she directed her gaze directly at Kristoph- "I'd like to make one thing perfectly clear to the defense."

Kristoph waved his hand magnanimously. "Anything you have to say is welcome, Ms. von Karma," he replied breezily, not trying very hard to keep a mocking tone out of his voice.

She was unfazed. "Ms. Fey," she said to the slim girl next to her, "would you please tell Mr. Kristoph Gavin exactly what I mean?"

The girl nodded, grinning eagerly. What was she so excited about? She drew back her hand, and- what was that in her palm? Was that a- _Ouch!_

"Holy mother of God!" Kristoph yelped, rubbing at his hand. "You _whipped _me!"

Franziska nodded, a truly ugly grin stretching across her young features. "I would have liked to do it myself, but I think she did a fairly good job."

The girl with the whip pouted. "I was aiming for his face, like you told me, but I missed."

"Not to worry. You'll have it perfect by the end of the trial, I'm sure."

"Does _anyone,_" Kristoph interjected furiously, "care that she just wielded a weapon in the middle of a _court of law?_"

The Judge grimaced. "_You_ try and stop her, Mr. Gavin."

"Wh-??" His incredulous retort was cut short by another lash from the whip, this time to his shoulder. His voice dying, replaced by an silent and impotent rage, he could do nothing but glare at his injured hand. That tiny, insignificant girl had managed to draw blood, and fairly deeply. It looked like he might even have a scar from the blasted thing. This… this hadn't figured into his careful calculations for the day.

Across the room, a near-cackling Franziska turned to Maya and murmured, "When you aren't working with Phoenix Wright, would you like to be _my_ legal aide as well?"

"Depends," Maya replied with a wicked grin. "Would I get my own whip?"


End file.
